The impact of AI influencer endorsements on consumers’ purchase intentions: the serial mediating roles of mind perception and brand trustworthiness

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) influencer endorsements affect consumers’ perceptions of brands and purchase intentions. Design/methodology/approach This research conducted two scenario experiments mimicking real social media advertisements with various product categories and endorser images to test the predicted causal relationships and psychological mechanisms. Study 1 tested the effects of AI influencer endorsements on brand trustworthiness. Study 2 tested the serial mediating roles of mind perception and brand trustworthiness on the relationship between AI influencer endorsements and purchase intentions. Findings The results show that AI (vs. human) influencers, as brand endorsers, lead consumers to perceive lower brand trustworthiness and, consequently, lower purchase intentions toward the brand. This negative effect arises from consumers’ lower mind perception of the endorser’s agency rather than experience. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to apply mind perception theory and brand perception from the brand relationship perspective to establish the cognitive process linking AI influencer endorsements to purchase intentions and advance the understanding of the impact of AI influencer endorsements on brands. The findings offer marketers insights into how AI influencers change brand perceptions and remind them to take compensatory measures.